Unlike normal blemishes, cystic acne are those bumps that embed themselves deep under the skin. They are large, tend to swell, and cause pain. Most of the time, they do not come to a head and trying to pick and pop them only causes further damage like scarring, inflammation, and infection. If this is your struggle, you're not alone, because cystic acne in your thirties, and late-twenties, is a thing. “Fifty-four percent of women older than the age of 25 have some form of facial acne,” the International Dermal Institute reported. Sometimes, it can't be helped.

“Cystic acne is commonly increased in your thirties as this is when the skin is most susceptible to hormonal changes. The hormonal shifts affect the oil glands and sebaceous glands in the skin,” Dr. Purvisha Patel, board certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare adds.

“Products that are occlusive, such as petrolatum-based creams, or edible products such as coconut oil clog pores — they feed bacteria and fungus — can make breakouts worse,” Dr. Patel warns.

Treatments

Clearing up cystic acne isn't an overnight fix, and it takes consistency and dedication to find a solution. If you're searching for products to help, “topical creams with tretinoin, retinol, or acids help exfoliate the skin to prevent the cysts from forming,” Dr. Patel says. “Tea tree oil, benzoyl peroxide, and sulfur topicals also help to decrease bacterial and fungal colonization of the skin.”

Decreasing the inflammation ultimately helps decrease the pain factor, too. So as tough as it might be, don't pick or squeeze the area, it will get more inflamed and hurt even more, Dr. Patel notes.